Shropshire bowlers go down fighting

New Shropshire selector Mark Thomas was accentuating the positives after both county teams came up short in the Midland Alliance on home soil.

Shropshire’s A team at Donnignton Wood, back row, from the left: Mick Jones (selector), Dan Wornell, Jolyon Partridge, Paul Reeves, Tony Rhodes, Ian Gaut, Mike Caddick (county president); front, Sam Millward, Craig Wilson, Pete Grimston.

A handful of chalks cost Shropshire’s A and B teams at Donnington Wood on Sunday when a late change to the draw and team line-ups caused plenty of confusion.

In the end it was Warwick & Worcester who had six winners out of eight to beat Staffordshire in the final, but only after they had lost to one of the Shropshire sides in the group games.

It was the B side on the newer No.2 green that pulled off that coup but, needing to beat W&W by 15 shots to finish as group winners, they could only manage a 13-chalk success and so missed out by four shots overall.

Thomas declared: “There were definitely some positives and we were a little unlucky.

“We beat the eventual winners in the group and lost one group game when we had five winners from the eight games.

“I feel that both our teams had players good enough to step up to the next level.”

The B team started well with a 21-shot win over South Yorkshire, Bowring’s Josh Bradburn the best of six winners with a 21-5 card.

So close to the Midland Alliance final – Shropshire B, back row from the left: Mark Thomas (selector), Dave Lloyd, Stuart Clee, Jack Hewitt, Chris Stretch, Mike Caddick (county president). FrontL Ash Wellings, Ben Talbot, Adam Dovey, Josh Bradburn.

They then had five winners against North Midlands but two single-figure losses meant defeat by five shots, piling on the pressure for the final W&W clash which saw Jack Hewitt (Malpas Sports) win 21-11.

Shropshire A on the No.1 green started poorly with only three winners in an 11-shot loss to Staffordshire, Paul Reeves of reigning Premier League champions Sir John Bayley winning 21-12.

Six winners against Derbyshire took them to a 24-chalk win in game two, Reeves (21-11) again starring, and the A team were even more convincing in their third clash.

Newport’s Sam Millward won 21-5 in a 35-shot romp against the Potteries but it was Staffs with three straight wins who topped the final group table to make the final.

Reeves, Ash Wellings (Hanwood), Adam Dovey (Burway) and Dave Lloyd of Bowring finished the day unbeaten to give Thomas and fellow selector Mick Jones plenty of food for thought ahead of Sunday’s county championship group opener against W&W.